Associate Professor of Philosophy Denis Ryan Kelly was noted not only for teaching but for many other accomplishments (among them chess, tennis, motor cycle riding, and playing Santa Claus). By far the greatest of these accomplishments were in the areas of theater and music. Having studied music and drama in his youth, he made his adult stage debut at Marian College in the mid-70s, performing straight dramatic roles in MacBeth and Media: A Space Odyssey. Roles combining dramatic and musical talents came shortly after, and his leading role in the Music and Theater Departments' joint production of Puccini's "Gianni Schicci" a one-act comic opera, launched a public career in major musical and operatic roles, first at Christian Theological Seminary, as bass soloist for the Butler University Chorale, and most notably, the Indianapolis Opera Company. Marian saw him again many times for productions, notably "Man of La Mancha" and "Fiddler on the Roof."